MLB Free Agency: Why the Tampa Bay Rays Should Target Heath Bell

There are many teams that would love to have Heath Bell, but the Tampa Bay Rays are the ones who would make the most sense.

Heath Bell has been a name that's flown under the radar with the likes of C.J. Wilson, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder taking up the spotlight.  Despite that, Bell's still one of the better free agents on the market.

The Rays aren't exactly known to spend money, but if they were going to, Bell would be one of the better choices to spend it on.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are going to make moves this offseason, and the Rays are going to need to keep up if they want to go back to the playoffs next season.

Let's take a look at why the Rays should go after Heath Bell.

Kyle Farnsworth

As of right now, their current closer is Kyle Farnsworth.

As any Yankee fan can tell you, that's not a good thing.

Sure he was exceptionally good last season posting a 2.18 ERA with a WHIP of 0.99.  However, he's known as a hard thrower with little control.  It's hard to imagine him repeating those numbers especially since he's only had back-to-back seasons with an ERA south of 3.00 just once.

Heath Bell is a real, legitimate closer.  He would give the Tampa Bay Rays a reliable option at the end of the bullpen, something they haven't had in years.

If I were Joe Maddon, I'd feel a lot better knowing Heath Bell was going to close out the game instead of Kyle Farnsworth.

The Bullpen

Going off of the subject of Kyle Farnsworth, Heath Bell would improve the Tampa Bay Ray's bullpen.

Last season, the Rays had what I liked to call a miracle bullpen in that it was a miracle they got out of as many tight jams as they did.

When it came to the bullpen, Joe Maddon didn't necessarily manage it per say.  Instead, it seemed more like he threw a reliever out there hoping that the guy would get the out.  

Don't get me wrong, Maddon's an excellent manager, especially since he got that many wins out of that bullpen, but many times it seemed like luck was on his side.

Again, having Bell in the bullpen would give Maddon some peace of mind knowing he had at least one reliable option.

It's entirely possible that the Ray's bullpen will be repeat miracle workers.  However, and this is just me, I'd rather sign Heath Bell and put some trust in him.

The Other Closers in the Division

The AL East is a tough division, especially when it comes to closers.

The New York Yankees have all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera.  You might have heard of that guy.

As of now, the Boston Red Sox have Jonathan Papelbon, a terrific closer in his own right.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays have trotted out Kyle Farnsworth, Rafael Soriano, an aged Troy Percival and Al Reyes since 2007.  Not exactly top of the line quality stuff here.

If the Rays want to compete in the division, they're going to need a closer who can finish off those close games for them.

After all, as much as every Yankee fans would like it to happen, the Rays can't depend on a September collapse from the Red Sox every season.

Keeping Up with Division Rivals

The New York Yankees put themselves to win every season.  Anything short of a championship would be considered a failure to them.

The Boston Red Sox have the same mentality.  They want to win and aim for the World Series every year.

Both of those teams are willing to do what it takes to get there, even spend ridiculous amounts of money.

Even the Toronto Blue Jays have been making moves to stay competitive and are one signing/good trade away from breaking free from .500 purgatory.

The Tampa Bay Rays on the other hand, have been winning thanks to their farm system and smart signings and trades.  One can only wonder how much longer the Rays can keep that up.

I admire what the Rays do and would prefer them to not go the route of the Yankees or Red Sox. However, it'd be foolish for them to not spend some money once in a while to keep up with those guys.

Signing Heath Bell would show the sports world that the Rays mean business and that they're willing to do what it takes to win.

Star Power

It's kind of known that the Tampa Bay Rays don't necessarily have many stars on the team.

They have Evan Longoria, David Price and...that's about it.  Sure they have All-Stars, current and former, on the team, but they aren't exactly star studded like other teams.

The Rays also have a problem with drawing a crowd as they usually rank towards the bottom in attendance each season.

Heath Bell is a three-time All-Star and one of the better closers in the game.  He's a recognizable name in the baseball world.

Granted he's no Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder.  Heck, he's not even a Brian Wilson (then again, no one is except Brian Wilson).  He's not exactly a flashy name, but it's a start for the Rays.

Signing Bell would show fans that the Rays are willing to bring in stars and that's a good first step for the Rays to solve their attendance problem.

Another one would be to get a better stadium, but that's a topic for another day.